Guilty by Association
by Bibly
Summary: When Gospel is severely injured during battle, Forte runs off to fight Rock in the name of his faithful companion. But things don't go exactly as he planned...


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Disclaimer: My name ain't anywhere on any of the _Rockman_ goodies out there, so that must mean one thing: I dun own them.

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Random Rant: …I've REALLY gotta start working on "Velvet Rain" again, ne? X_x Well, this was just some random brain fart brought to you by my recent constant listening to Linkin Park (even though their songs have nothing to do with _Rockman_ or yaoi) and reading the fourth chapter to _On Humanity_ by lin.exe over and over and over again as well as Gimp666 lovely fics! O_o;; If you're a fan of Linkin Park, you'll probably realize that the name of this fic is part of a song lyric. ::nod:: Music lyrics tend to make for good titles.

I was rather surprised when I got a couple reviews on "Breaking You" (I honestly thought it was rather…blah) and after realizing that some people actually enjoyed it, I decided to write more odd RockxForte fics. =D I really would have preferred to write this in first person…but I wanted to get both of their emotions, so nya to myself.

I dunno WHERE I was heading with this thing, since I just wanted to write something random before I get grounded cuz of my report card. @_@ Stupid school…

::glomps onto Gimp666:: You rock, you nice person, you! Telling people to read "Breaking You", that was really nice of you. ^_^ Now, everyone else out there! ::points at all of you:: You go and read her stuff! DO IT! DO IT NOW!!!

A big thank you to all of you who comment on my stuff. Your great comments keep me writing, and I love you all for doing that! ^_^ And another big thank you to lin.exe and Gimp666 for inspiring me to write another RockxForte one shot! =P

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Warning: If you dun like **shounen-ai **and **yaoi foreplay**-type stuff, then dun read this fic! You do and you dun likey that kinda stuff, that's your problem, not mine!

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Guilty by Association  
By: Bibly

Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could he have possibly been so stupid?! Attacking head on like that – he was an experienced warrior, not some navies! _Here I am, Rock, just flying right at you, wide open for an attack! Come and hit me with everything you've got!_ he thought to himself as he bared his teeth, growling lowly. He'd never let himself live such a stupid action down. After the numerous battles he had lived through, it should have been obvious enough that one wasn't supposed to attack head on while their opponent was still able to defend themselves! He heaved an aggravated sigh. "Forte, you're such an idiot," he told himself, stopping to lean against a nearby tree. Resting his helmeted head against its trunk, he looked about, searching for any sign of his faithful companion. Why did Gospel have to disappear like that during the battle? Forte was tired and wounded, he wanted nothing more than to go home, but after a sudden shift in attacks, Rock had blasted Gospel clear from view and into the deep foliage. Forte expected the wolf-like bioroid to simply get up from the blast and join him once again, but he never returned. The ebony bioroid didn't suspect that anything bad had happened to him; after all, Gospel was aware of the fact that Forte wanted nothing more than to destroy the Blue Bomber on his own and was to lend a hand only if he was allowed to. But still…

Forte grunted as he pushed away from the tree, returning to searching around the area. His red eyes wandered about him, wincing every now and then when the damage he had sustained registered to his sensors. Of course, the pain he felt was nothing bad considering all wounds he had, not in a human sense anyway. As a bioroid, his senses were quite limited, and the slight stinging feeling he felt, although nearly nothing if a human felt it, still hurt him.

_Where are you, Gospel?_ he thought to himself as he rounded a tree. He gasped. The trees that stood before him – or should have stood before him – were gone. Nothing but mere stumps remained. _That blast…was one damn powerful blast…!_ He was quick to where the trees still remained, searching for his faithful companion. He immediately fell to his knees upon seeing him.

Gospel lay on the ground, neither moving nor showing any signs of life.

Forte reached over slowly, hoping that the thoughts that ran through his mind weren't true. Never before had he an emotion such as that surged through him, causing him to shake and breath in short gasps. _Gospel…please, no…please be alive…_ The tips of his fingers pressed against the synthetic hairs that lay on Gospel's head softly. "Please, Gospel… Blink, lick my hand, twitch your foot, just do something…," he beckoned him, resting his hand on the dog's head. A long moment of silence passed between them, neither of them moving. Forte felt something well up in his eyes, something foreign to him. …Tear? _I'm crying…?_ "Gospel, c'mon boy…! Move…! I command you to move!" he shouted in a last ditch effort to receive some sign of life. Something suddenly caught his eye after a few seconds of staring at the purple dog. _His paw…his paw twitched!_ Glancing over him quickly, Forte surveyed the damage Gospel received, glad to notice that all of his vital circuits appeared to be in fine condition. _I should have known. Rock won't kill when it's between us two,_ he thought, suddenly embarrassed that he had let his emotions consume him like that.His emotions shifted from embarrassment to anger when he wrapped an arm around Gospel to begin the transport home. _You'll pay for hurting Gospel, Rock… You'll pay with your LIFE!_

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Removing his helmet, Rock rubbed his head gingerly, closing his eyes tightly as pain shoot through him. _Stupid censors! Stop that!_ He walked up the stairs onto the porch of his home slowly, carefully as to not aggravate the damage he had acquired from his past battle. The battle – Forte. Rock stopped at the very thought of the dark bioroid. He opened his eyes to stare at the porch beneath him. Forte…Rock hated having to fight him. He never wanted to fight him to begin with. When they first met all those years ago, Rock had thought he had acquired a helpful hand, a partner who would be able to help through the battles themselves rather than behind the scenes like Blues did. He was immediately captivated by Forte's appearance when he laid eyes on him: so dark and confident, his eyes seemed to glow with a strong will to accomplish his deeds. When Rock watched him move about, he felt something within him grow warm, something within him that made him blush and stare at Forte even more. He seemed so handsome, so…sexy. 

Rock cupped one of his wounds. He continued his way to the door, his mind still locked on Forte's face. _It hurts so much to fight him. That angry, death-like glare he always gives me, the words…the hateful words he always screams at me… I hate having to fight him! Why do we have to keep fighting each other?!_ He sighed, opening the door. He was immediately greeted by a loud scream.

"Rock!" a blonde-haired girl shouted, her blue eyes staring at him intently. "Rock, what happened?!"

"Just came across a little trouble out in the woods…," he muttered, intentionally looking away from her gaze and at the floor. He couldn't let her see the pain in his eyes; not the pain brought on by the numerous cuts and gashes along his body, but the pain from deep within his 'heart.' "Nothing major, Roll."

"Nothing major?!" she repeated, grabbing him by the arm softly. "You're…BLEEDING! Horribly, too!"

"It's nothing my auto-repair system can't handle."

Roll looked him over completely, taking in all of the damage he had received. "Like hell it can! These wounds are horrible! Come on, dad's in the lab!"

Rock trailed behind his sister, still gazing at the floor as they went. The pain he had felt earlier meant nothing to him now. His mind was swarming, images of Forte running before his eyes, taunting him, declaring him unreachable to his touch and longing to be pressed against him. The black-haired bioroid felt tears begin to well in his eyes as those images began to whisper words of death and destruction to him, words that stated how much Forte hated him. _Why does it have to be this way?_

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Forte's eyes were glazed in thought as Wily began the repair process on Gospel. He sat at the corner of the room, his arms folded over his chest, his legs crossed. His leg swayed from back and forth slightly as he thought, his red eyes hidden from view by his long violet bangs. He could hear the slightly clicks and snaps that sounded throughout his body as his auto-repair system repaired the rest of the injuries Wily hadn't bothered to finish, but that didn't effect his thinking process. Anger welled within him as his thoughts soared, causing him to grip tighter and tighter on his black shirt in the hopes of not lashing out against his own creator – not that he would, anyway. He hated the man, but if he killed him, Forte would be as sure as gone, having broke the first law of robotics. His first law, anyway.

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Rock, you're going to pay for hurting him! Forte thought as he stared at his black pants. _You're going to pay for taking away my honor, taking away Wily's belief in me! You've made my life a living hell, made me the depressed angry loser I am today! It's all your fault for taking away my happiness, you fucking bastard! _He opened one of his hands and glanced at it, peering at the few plain silver rings he wore along with a spiked bracelet on his wrist. He growled. _Everything you've done to me will not go without a price!_

Standing, Forte took one last gaze at Gospel before heading out of the lab. No one would notice he had left. It wouldn't take long, anyway. Rock was probably still being repaired, so taking care of him would be simple enough. Not really his choice of attack, since Forte wanted nothing more than to fight with him at full strength, but he his lust to kill him was so strong that he couldn't take it anymore! The small bioroid, with his large blue eyes, soft voice, and tight-fitting armor, showing every detail of what lay beneath so clearly would pay…

Forte stopped. He ran a finger beneath his lower lip slightly, then gazed at it. He was…drooling? Why was he drooling? Raising an eyebrow, he continued walking to the exit of the fortress, still confused, yet hungry for death.

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Rock lay on the grass a few yards away from the Light compound, gazing up at the evening sky. He loved the colors that shown so brightly every time he looked up at it; the yellows, the reds, the purples and blues, he loved the calming feeling they seemed to give off. He smiled slightly. It was a sad smile, the true meaning behind it locked deep within. Only one thing would complete such a perfect scene, but he knew he would not happen.

He rolled onto his side. He stared idly at the trees that stood before him. Why did everything have to be so horrible? He had to fight all the time – something he never enjoyed – and most of the time it was against the one person he desired most. Why did fate have to play such painful tricks on him? He sighed, then stood and headed out into the forest. Before long, he stood in the middle of the battlefield that had been created just hours earlier. Smoke still curled from some of the rubble, most of the trees had been cleared for at least a few hundred yards, and the grass that had covered the ground earlier was anything but there now. Sadness overcame him as he looked about. _Why, Forte? Why?_ Rock whirled around when a soft snap met his ears. _…God, no, not again…_

Forte stood staring at him, a grin worn on his face as his eyes peered into his own. "What's wrong, Rockman?" he spat. "Why the hurt look on your face?"

"I was just hoping I wouldn't have to see your UGLY FACE for a few days after our little scrimmage this morning," Rock replied, forcing himself to sound angry. Inside, however, he was screaming in pain.

"Ugly? UGLY?" Forte growled, hunching over. "I'll show you ugly, you little bastard!" He lunged at him, his mind racing with images of Rock being ripped apart by his hands.

Rock immediately summoned his armor upon him, blocking the attack. He jumped away, cautious of Forte's right arm since it had now taken the form of his buster cannon. He himself did the same.

Forte's boots dug into the scorched earth as he slowly stopped himself. "C'mon, Rockman! Don't run away!" he called, chuckling to himself. _He'll die today. Nothing can stop me from killing him for what he did to Gospel!_ "Running away, that's so weak, just like shooting someone who WASN'T EVEN ATTACKING YOU!" he screamed.

Rock gasped. _He's fighting me…because I hurt Gospel? He's actually fighting for someone other than himself…?!_ "Forte, I didn't mean to hit him!"

"Sure you didn't!" Forte jumped into the air, releasing a mirage of plasma blasts at him. "Just like you didn't mean to kill Wily's faith in me!"

Rock jumped out of the way, wincing slightly when a few of the blasts hit their target. "I didn't mean to do any of that!" he answered, returning the shots.

Forte landed on the ground with a soft thump, dodging the attacks easily. He grinned slightly. As he ran, he slowly crouched further and further before he began running on all fours, quickening his speed to nearly twice his normal speed. _Thanks, Gospel. Always knew something you did would come in handy to me in general._ Using his now quickened speed to his advantage, he ran behind Rock and launched himself at him, ramming into his back and causing both of them to go crashing to the ground. "Time to die!" he screamed, pulling his buster cannon back, readying the deathblow. Something suddenly caught his attention, however. _What?_ He looked about. He could smell something, but he couldn't tell what. It was…vanilla? He sniffed again, then closed his eyes, savoring the smell. It was so different compared to what he usually smelled: oil and burnt rubber. It smelled so sweet, so pure; but where was it coming from. He continued to sniff – ignoring the fact that Rock was struggling beneath him – and kept going until he got to the source of the smell. He opened his eyes. It was coming from…Rock. He sniffed again. So sweet, so pure… He brought his face right up to Rock's neck, feeling his warmth against him. Everything that had been on his mind before didn't seem to matter anymore. All the mattered was that sweet smell and the bioroid it was coming from.

Rock shuddered when he felt Forte's face press up against his neck. _What's he doing? _He remained still, confused at the sudden turn in events before cocking his head to the side and peering into Forte's face. His eyes were closed, his breaths coming in short spurts. "…Forte." Forte's eyes snapped open, revealing their blood-red irises. Rock swallowed upon feeling his face beginning to burn. _He's so close… What if I…I mean, we're already…_ He stared back into Forte's eyes, slowly bringing his lips closer to the ebony bioroid's. They slowly pressed together, starting their first tender kiss. Rock closed his eyes as he felt himself burning inside once again, but this time not with a sense of longing, but with unbelievable happiness. All the times he had imagined it, all the times he wanted nothing more than to know what it would feel like, they had all led to this.

Forte closed his eyes once Rock's lips met his. Why was he suddenly enjoying this? And with Rock, no less? Just a few moments ago, he wanted to kill him. And now, here he was, sharing a tender kiss with him. _…Oh well._ Forte moved slightly, having to break the kiss in order for Rock to move onto his back. They stared at each other, both of them surprised by what was happening.

"Forte –" Forte's lips upon his own suddenly silenced Rock. He moaned softly when he felt his tongue rub against his lower lip, begging for an entrance into his mouth. Rock allowed him entrance, feeling his warm tongue searching around his mouth, rubbing every spot he could. The smaller bioroid slowly wrapped his arms around him, pressing them together even more.

Gloved hands ran along Rock's chest, abs, and hips as Forte continued to kiss him. He pulled away slightly, moving to suck on Rock's lower lip. He grinned when a moan reached his ears. "Enjoying this, aren't you?" he whispered, gazing up at him.

Rock peered down at him, his face flushed. "…I thought you hated me, Forte…"

Silence lingered between them. _How am I supposed to answer that? I do hate him. At least, I think I do. …Do I?_ Forte brushed the statement aside in order to lick at Rock's neck. "Damn cloth," Forte muttered. He smirked when Rock immediately willed his armor away, leaving himself in the nude. "Anxious, aren't we?" He pushed himself up slightly, allowing himself to take all of Rock in. For someone who was so small and so childish in appearance, he defiantly didn't appear as such without any clothes on. His soft, pale skin made him seem almost angelic. Forte smirked. He willed his own armor away, leaving both of them without anything on.

Rock gasped upon seeing Forte without his armor. His long violet hair fell to one side, still strapped in its ponytail; his muscles and dark skin made him appear even more dark and mysterious than before. Slowly, he reached up and tugged at the tie that held the younger bioroid's hair back. Forte's soft hair fell upon his back and shoulders, accenting the mysterious beauty that seemed to reach from him and across Rock's entire body. He couldn't help but shudder again.

Forte ran a hand through Rock's hair, savoring its soft texture. _It's like a million little feathers…_, he thought, taking Rock into his mouth once more. He ran his hands over his chest, bringing himself down on top of him as Rock ran his hands along his back. _Rock…_

Forte reeled back in surprise when he felt something suddenly sting his arm. "What in – " He sighed. He knew what that meant: Gospel's repairs were done. And if he didn't hurry, Wily would suspect something. _But I don't want to go yet…_ He gazed down at Rock. Those blue eyes, so soft, so loving… Closing his eyes, he kissed the Blue Bomber once again before standing.

"Hey, what are you doing…?" Rock questioned as he sat up.

"I have to go," Forte said as he turned his back to him.

"What, why?"

Forte summoned his armor on himself once more, crossing his arms over his chest. "Gospel's repairs are complete. If I don't get back soon, Wily'll suspect something."

Rock looked at his back, hurt by the sudden turn of events. "But…but I…"

"…Maybe I'll come back some other time." Forte turned around, gazing at him one more time before leaving.

Rock gazed up into the sky where Forte disappeared. _Forte… Forte, what was all of that about…?_ Willing the clothes he had on earlier onto his body, he headed for home, his mind jumbled.

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owari

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Author's Note: This kinda sucks, cuz it was rushed. -_- I really wanted to upload it today, though. Hope you liked it!


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